The giggles that bubbled up were not what he’d expected. But once they started, I couldn’t stop them, not even when he looked at me like I’d grown three heads. Thankfully, they finally subsided, but tears took over, still preventing me from answering. If I didn’t get myself under control soon, I was afraid he’d take back his proposal.
“Yes,” I finally sobbed. “Sorry. I don’t know if I want to cry from joy or laugh because I’m ridiculously happy, which seems like it should be impossible after everything that has happened. I don’t know what I should be doing, but my answer is yes. Yes! I want to be your wife. Yes, I want you by my side for all of those things. A hundred yeses. But, I get to be all of those things to you, too. I love you, Colin. I think I’ve loved you from the first time your bossy ass stepped into the White House residence and told me you were taking over as my personal detail.”
“Bossy ass, huh?” Colin smiled.
“Well, you did admit you’re hard to get along with.”
“I love you, sunshine.”
“I love you, Colin. What did my dad say?”
“He told me I had his blessing. He’s not a stupid man, Erin. Thinking back to the last conversation I had with him, he knew what he was doing.”
“And what was he doing?”
“He could’ve sent you anywhere in the world, hid you anyplace, but it was his call sending us to Texas together. My guess, he knew the more I was around you, the easier it would be for you to wear me down.”
“Wear you down?”
“Yeah, you know, get me to give into your wiles,” he teased.
“Colin!”
“I’m kidding, sunshine. I suppose I hadn’t hidden my feelings as well as I thought I had.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed silent and thought about how over the top happy I was. The knock on the door broke the spell and Zane, my dad, and the rest of Colin’s team walked in.
I didn’t want to admit it, but I was thankful Colin wouldn’t leave the room. I wasn’t ready to be alone yet.
Chapter 18
“Hacked?” I asked Tex as I glared at the cell phone on the roller table at Erin’s bedside.
The room was filled to capacity. Zane, Leo, Jaxon, Linc, the president, and Declan all crammed into the small space.
“Yes,” he ground out. “I’ve warned the others to discard all tracking devices.”
“So that’s how they found us. Through Erin’s jewelry,” I surmised. “Motherfucker! How is that even possible?”
“I’m good—goddamn great, actually,” Tex started. “The person who got into my system did not get through the layers of protection I have. They cracked my passcodes. Do you have any idea how difficult that is? Damn near impossible. Whoever got into my computer isn’t better than me, they had help.”
“Like the NSA,” Jaxon surmised.
“Correct.” I don’t think I’d ever heard Tex so angry in all the years I’d known him.
“Are you secure now?” Zane inquired. “What about Beth?”
“Beth seems to be unaffected. She’s under radar. Me? Not so much. If by secure you mean, have I changed passcodes, rerouted, and added more protection, then yes. If you’re asking if it can’t be done again, no.”
“Well, isn’t that fucking special.” Zane looked to the ceiling and spoke again. “How the fuck could this happen?”
“Angel,” the president spoke for the first time.
“Are you ready to explain exactly what this program is and why the hell the NSA is so hell-bent on it being up and running? Not to mention, we still need to figure out how that fuckstick Warren is tied in.” Only Zane Lewis could get away with taking that kind of tone with the President of the United States.
“Not here I’m not.”
“Why is that?” Zane continued to press.
“Because they’re listening.”
“How in the fuck is that possible?”
“Do you have a cell phone in the room?”
“You know damn well we do. We’re talking to Tex on one.”
“That’s how.”
Every man in the room went silent. It wasn’t that we bought into government conspiracy theories, but we all knew how easy it was to use a cellular device as a listening device. Albeit illegal, we’d done it a time or two ourselves. The NSA and CIA weren’t the only ones with the capability. However, they weren’t supposed to abuse the capability without a warrant.
“Well, there you have it.” Zane shook his head in disgust. “Wheels up in thirty, and we’ll continue this conversation when the fuckwits at the NSA can’t eavesdrop. Just to add since you’re listening, I’m coming for you, all of you. Your boy Warren paid for his lesson with his life. No one crosses my team and lives to tell about it. Tex, we’ll be in touch when we can.”
“Copy that. Good luck.”
Zane angrily stabbed the disconnect button on his phone and left it on the roller table.
“I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I told Zane. When he narrowed his eyes in confusion, I continued, “Erin has a concussion and is scheduled for an MRI in the morning.”
“I’ll be fine, Colin. You need to go with them.”
“Not a chance.”
Was she crazy? There was no way I was leaving her in California with a severe head injury.
“But—”
“No buts, sunshine. I told you I’m not leaving your side and I’m not.”
“I’m sure Gerard would stay with me,” she continued.
I sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle her, and my eyes zeroed in on the cut on her face. Thank God, she was okay. I would’ve taken a thousand beatings if it meant she remained untouched. She had to be the craziest, senseless, bravest, toughest woman I’d ever met. I was still in utter shock her ill-advised plan to rescue me worked. It was the riskiest attack I’d ever witnessed and that was saying something.
“I see you’re still not understanding me. In the span of twenty-four hours, we went from lazing around a cabin to a full-blown military-style attack. An assault team took you, drugged you, tied me up, and you nearly killed a man. When all that sinks in, I’m going to be here. When someone needs to wake you up through the night because you have a concussion, it’ll be me. When you go for your MRI, I’ll be there with you. Nothing is more important. Nothing is going to change so drastically in the next day. Everything will wait.”
“But what if it does, Colin? What if something else happens? My dad signed those—”
“Sunshine, that was for show. And if something else happens, then someone else will handle it. Because I will be . . . right . . . here.”
“He’s right, Erin. I wasn’t thinking when I suggested we leave now. If it were Ivy in a hospital bed, nothing would make me leave her. A nuke could take out the eastern seaboard, and I’d still stay with her. We’ll leave tomorrow after your MRI, providing your doctor clears you to fly.”
“Don’t cry, sunshine. Everything is going to be fine.” I wiped away a tear as it slid down her cheek and reveled in how warm and soft her skin was. We’d gotten lucky.
“I feel like I’m holding everyone up.”
“You’re not.” Tom’s booming voice carried over the quiet conversation Zane was having with the rest of the team. “May I have a moment alone with my daughter?”
I looked back at Erin and waited for her to give me a sign she was okay with me leaving the room. If she wasn’t, I’d have no problem going toe-to-toe with Tom. He may be the president but right then, in that room, he was simply her father. And if my woman wanted me, I wasn’t leaving.
When she smiled and gave me a nod, I leaned down to kiss her forehead, careful not to irritate the gash.
“I’ll be right outside,” I told her.
I stood but before I could get more than a few steps, Tom’s hand landed on my shoulder, halting me.
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
“One day, when you’re a father, you’ll understand. There is
a need. I want you to know I appreciate everything, and I mean, everything you’ve done for my daughter.”
“You’re welcome.”
The six of us made our way into the hall in silence.
“Ma’am, do you mind if we leave these here with you?” Zane held out his cell phone to the nurse behind a large, curved desk.
“Sure.”
All of us set our phones in a pile and followed Zane to the end of the corridor. Not too far from Erin’s room.
“What the fuck?” he barked. “Run me through what the hell happened.”
I gave Zane and the others a minute by minute rundown on what had taken place at Abe’s cabin through when the Gold Team had come in for the rescue.
“She did what?” Declan asked.
“Brother, it was like watching a movie in slow motion. I caught her out of the corner of my eye as Warren and one of his men were wailing on me. I told her to stay out of sight and, no matter what, not to do or say anything to draw attention to herself. She fucking promised.” It would be a long time before the visions of her putting her life in danger left the forefront of my mind. “He could’ve killed her. And he would’ve if you and your team hadn’t come in when you did.” While I’d been taking care of Warren, the man next to Erin had grabbed the gun she’d knocked out of his hand and was pointing it at her head. The barrel of the pistol was a mere foot from her. He wouldn’t have missed, and she wouldn’t have survived. “I don’t know which one of them took the shot, but I’m indebted to them for the rest of my life.”
As I’d expected, Declan didn’t say a word. I knew he’d never tell me which man on his team was responsible for taking the shot that saved Erin’s life. I also knew, whoever it was didn’t want the credit or my thanks.
“Did Warren say anything?” Leo asked.
“Not about how he was involved, just that the plan was his to take Erin to force Tom to sign the reinstatement of Angel. He was too caught up in his normal ‘I hate Zane Lewis’ bullshit to make any sense.”
“Jesus Christ!” Zane muttered and scrubbed his hand over his face.
“All of this comes back to this Angel program.”
“We’re dead in the water without Garrett or Tex. As soon as Garrett heard what happened to Tex, he literally starting unplugging every machine in the building. Jasmin said she’d gone into the office with the twins to catch up on paperwork and Garrett was yelling at everyone to disconnect the landlines. It’s absolute chaos over there,” Linc informed us.
“We’re not dead, just beat up. Kinda like Colin’s face. It might not look pretty but it still didn’t stop him from asking the girl to marry him.” Zane chuckled even though what he said barely made any sense. “I take it she said yes.”
“She did.”
“That’s love right there, friend. Cause I gotta tell you, you look like someone used your face for CQC practice,” Leo threw in.
“Not so much of a pain in the ass anymore, eh?” Zane loved to use your prior words against you whenever he could.
“Oh, she’s still a pain in the ass.”
“Right. But none of us could ever fall in love with a delicate flower. We need spice and vinegar to go with our sweet,” Jaxon commented.
He wasn’t wrong. Not with our overbearing personalities.
“Speak for yourselves,” Declan, the only single one in the group, told us. “I think you’re all crazy. One day I’ll find a sweet wallflower.”
“And you’ll be bored out of your skull,” I informed him. “Men like us, we don’t do boring. We need a soft place to fall after a tough mission but a woman who can still put us on our ass when we go too far. Take Leo for example, Olivia entertains his over the top craziness only so far. Then she has no problem telling him to back off.”
“That she does.” Jaxon chuckled.
“Yeah, laugh it up, Jax. I’ve seen Violet tell you where to shove it. And let’s not forget she pulled the same shit Erin just pulled by not following directions.” Leo crossed his arms across his large frame and smirked good-naturedly.
“He’s kinda right. Miss Loose Lips willingly gave herself up,” Zane added.
“To save my wife and babies’ lives,” Linc reminded Zane.
“I didn’t say she didn’t have good reason. Only that she and Erin both put their lives in danger for our sorry asses.”
“And what, Ivy’s a walk in the park? The woman puts up with no bullshit ever.” Jax had Zane there. Ivy was easy going until she wasn’t. And when she wasn’t, it was world war three.
“Fuck no, she’s not. That’s what makes her the perfect woman. I know where I stand with her. And in case I missed it the first time she tells me I’m being an asshole, she kindly reminds me a second time, only louder. But when shit goes sideways, she never complains. When I pull inside of myself and the guilt starts to jerk me under, she’s there. Not a day has gone by I haven’t thought about how lucky I am. How lucky we all are.”
“Y’all enjoy your domestication. For years my ass was stuck deep undercover with the filth of the world. Now that you all are off the market, that means there’s more available tail for me. And I plan on enjoying it.” Declan winked.
He wasn’t fooling any of us. He thought he was, but we’d all been there. Loneliness was a given for men like us.
“Whatever you say, Dec,” Lincoln started. “There was a time I thought the same thing. We were living the good life. Shootin’ guns, killin’ bad guys, high on the adrenaline rush. Then walked in a five-foot-nothing hellcat and knocked my world off its axis. Jasmin changed everything. One day, when the woman you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with barges into your life and ties you in knots, you’ll gladly allow it. Unless you’re Colin. Then you fight it and pretend you don’t see what’s right in front of your face.”
I kindly flipped Lincoln the middle finger.
A look of sadness passed over Declan’s face before he quickly masked it.
“Still can’t believe you asked her, man. Congratulations. Maybe now you can bring her around and see my wife. Olivia has been worried about her.”
“We already talked about it. She feels bad about what happened this last year and wants to make it right.”
“Nothing to make right. As long as she’s in Olivia’s life, that’s all that matters.”
“Agreed.”
The door to Erin’s room opened, and her father stepped out. As much as I enjoyed bantering with my team, I’d rather be with my woman.
“She’s all yours. Take care of her,” Tom said.
I was struck by the truthfulness of his words. She was all mine. In every way. For all time.
Chapter 19
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Colin asked for the fourth time since we’d left his house.
I’d done nothing but sleep, or I should say, tried to sleep, for the last two days. After my MRI showed no swelling or bleeding in my brain, I was given the all clear to fly home. We landed at Andrews and went straight to Colin’s house in Annapolis. True to his word, he hadn’t left my side. As a matter of fact, he was following the doctor’s orders to wake me up once an hour—down to the second. I didn’t know how he was functioning. He had to be exhausted.
Zane had called yesterday and asked if Colin would come into the office today, and the only way he’d agreed was if I went with him. So that was where we were headed. And if I was going to spend the day lollygagging around his office, I thought I should ask if Olivia could meet me there since Leo would be at the meeting as well. At the time I’d thought it was a good idea, however the closer we got to the downtown office the more nervous I became.
“Sunshine?”
“Sorry. Yeah, I feel fine.”
“You sure? You were out of it there for a minute.”
“Just thinking about Olivia. What if she doesn’t forgive me?”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about. I talked to Leo and she’s thrilled you texted her.”
“But what if—”
“The sky falls? A bus pulls in front of us? The world explodes?” he joked.
“Stop. I’m being serious.”
“I know you are. You’re working yourself up for nothing. I’m more worried about you taking it easy than anything. The doctor said—”
“Yes, I know what he said. Relax. No exercise or strenuous activity. I’ll be sitting in your office talking, not PT’ing.”
“He also said no stress.”
“Last night I offered you a perfectly reasonable stress-relief option, but you turned me down.”
“Reasonable? Sweetheart, me giving you orgasms while you have a concussion isn’t going to happen.”
“Why not? All I have to do is lie there.”
“Right. You don’t just lie there. Your head thrashes, your hips buck, you scream in excitement. No part of that is relaxing.”
“Fine,” I huffed.
“I think I’ve created a monster.” He chuckled. “Besides, right now, all I want to do is hold you. I want to feel your breath on my neck and your heartbeat against mine as you cuddle into me.”
Rescuing Erin (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Red Team Book 5) Page 13